Gris, An Experience You don’t want to Miss…
This game came out in late 2018 and although I picked it up for whatever reason I didn’t fully play through it until today. I just had to write about it, so here we are. Now I will say this game is not for everyone. If you are not someone who enjoys game as art you will not like Gris. That out of the way, let’s focus more on the game itself.
Gris is a beautiful, touching work of art. The watercolor-esque animation this game employs is nothing short of phenomenal. Each frame is a picture perfect painting teeming with little details for you to observe. These visuals combined with the great sound design and top-notch soundtrack provide you with an experience that you won’t soon forget.
This game is a journey through a character’s grief and how they cope with the world that surrounds them. Dream-like in design, it’s a surreal trip through a mysterious world.
Gameplay:
Since Gris is a game, I’m going to go ahead and get this element out of the way first. The game-play is simple. Platforming and simple-puzzle elements are the only challenges you’re going to find in there and of those two, neither are super challenging. A few great and interesting puzzles aside, nothing here really stands out. However, it makes masterful use of the few mechanics the game does has in a variety of ways. You do this to find shiny orbs which later build into the climax of the game itself.
I’m going to recommend you play it with a Controller. Now, I haven’t played the switch version, I got my copy on Steam. I personally prefer controllers for the platforming elements anyway, but you’re going to want to use a stick so you’re able to walk as otherwise your character just runs about since Arrow keys aren’t pressure sensitive. It really lets you sit, stop or take it slow. I used an x-box 360 game controller just fine with no issues.
Your initial play through is going to take you about roughly 4 hours, it’s not a very long game and feels paced fantastically to me.
Graphic Design:
Detail! Detail! Detail! This game is a master at detail and that’s something you can say about the whole journey. You start in a world of grays, blacks, and whites with the only little bit of color otherwise being the little blue-green hair that sits upon the Heroines head.
As you progress through this world you’ll notice a lot of vacant area. Area left vacant for a reason. Early on it really hammers in that sense of loneliness the character feels. As you progress though, each chapter adds new color to the world. Literally, just one color (Well, shades of a color) and the game is broken up into four chapters. Red, Green, Blue, Yellow.
The game makes great use of color to speak metaphor for the story and for just visual feasting of the eyes. Each set piece is properly zoomed in or out on, and as you progress through the game it just becomes more and more alive. Little fantastic creatures scuttle about in the foreground and background. Rain, wind, etc come and go throughout the game.
And the animation itself, oh god. It’s so fluid. Runs at a perfect 60 frames per second and although my PC is not the best I had no trouble or stuttering at all. No frame drops whatsoever. Each thing you do has a new animation attached to it, even if you’re only going to see it for the briefest of moments. Carefully crafted and seemingly flawless, this world is alive and you’ll want to sit and just look at it for many moments during your play through the game.
Sound Design and Soundtrack:
Now I am listening to the Soundtrack right now as I’m writing my thoughts on the game having just experienced it. It’s just great. I can not give more praise of the siren like singing and ethereal presence the soundtrack commands of you. It also has much flair for the dramatic.
The sound design itself is so great. Each thing that happens has its own sounds and you hear all of it. The little scurrying of a rock creature as it paths itself across the ground, the dripping of water, flutter of birds, etc. The game is packed full of things to notice and observe.
The sounds of the game really complement the visuals well.
Story:
And combining these elements together you are going to get the story of the game. Now it’s vague but it isn’t hiding what it’s about. It’s about the main Heroine and how she deals with loss going through stages of grief. There’s no dialogue, instead the story is told through level design, world building, sound design, musical cues, etc as you traipse through the organic world it provides. You’re going to want to go through this whole game in one sitting and it’s a worthwhile way to experience it.
I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m going to keep it brief, but really play this game. It’s mournful and touching, succinct yet everlasting. Nothing here is totally wholly unique, but the way it’s portrayed puts it ahead of many other games who try to accomplish the same thing.
Once you go through your initial play through remember to use the now-given level select feature and go ahead and pick up on any mementos you might’ve missed out on. You’ll be able to access a secret cut scene that really ties the whole thing together.
Gris is a fantastically gorgeous game and one I recommend wholeheartedly to anyone looking for an artistic journey of emotion.
And I’m going to attach some non spoiler images hidden here.
